Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

Welcome to the Open Dictionary!

What is the Open Dictionary?

The Open Dictionary is Macmillan's crowdsourced dictionary, where you can suggest new words and expressions for us to add. The Open Dictionary started in 2009, and since then more than 4000 new words and phrases have been added. About half of these new words have been "promoted" to become full entries in the Macmillan Dictionary.

What kinds of words can I submit to the Open Dictionary?

We'd like you to tell us about words and expressions that are being used in English where you are. They could be new words and phrases that are entering the language; technical, regional and slang terms; words from other languages that English is borrowing; or just words we missed when we were compiling Macmillan Dictionary. We have created a useful diagram to help you decide whether to submit a word or not.

What kinds of words should I not submit to the Open Dictionary?

Please don't submit words that you or your friends have invented; obscenities; the names of people you dislike and what you would like to do them; or words and phrases that are already in the dictionary. All of these go straight into the (virtual) bin.

How do I submit a word to the Open Dictionary?

If there is a word you would like to add, you can find full instructions and a submission form here.

What happens after I submit a word?

We will check to see if there is independent evidence showing your word in use. If there is, we will add it to the dictionary, but we won't publish anything which may cause offence. Once your word is in the dictionary, your name will appear with it; for example, here you can see what we did with the word hypocaust.

What does the editor like about the Open Dictionary?

"I never know what I'm going to find when I look at most recent submissions to the Open Dictionary. What I hope to find is new words or expressions that are entering the English language, or ones that have passed us by for some reason. Entries that consist of invented words, personal attacks or words that are already in the dictionary, on the other hand, get rejected. The latter generally outnumber the former by about three to one; it would be great to reverse those proportions."

What is trending in the Open Dictionary?

Are you curious about which words and meanings have made it into the news lately? With our latest Open Dictionary quiz you can test your knowledge of trending words. If you’re looking for any clues, you might find this infographic with example sentences helpful … don't forget to share your results afterwards!